Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Wed, 23 Jan 2019, 08:04

So, considering the Olympic Qualifying, also the nations not involved in the Series (like Italy ) may cheer for their continental fellows. More nations of your same continent will qualify directly, more easy your road in the continental qualifying will be

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Wed, 23 Jan 2019, 12:15

Canalina wrote:A doubt: at the Olympics, the Ulster players play with Ireland or with Great Britain?

Some might be able to actually chose, if they've got both passports. But a good question how the eligibility would be applied for Northern Irish players who are captured by Ireland. The easiest way would be that they need to use the Olympic loophole to play for GB, but you never know with rugby Maybe dropkick knows more.

To be technical, it's 12 core teams contesting the Olympic spots. Japan's already in by virtue of hosting the games, and England's the sole Great Britain qualification representative out of the Home Nations by mutual agreement, so neither Scotland's nor Wales' placements get factored in.

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Wed, 23 Jan 2019, 16:07

Tradition. International rugby was born out of British nations and its best known tournament did too. Just as it happens with football. And 7s was created in Scotland.

It would be better for us, from the outside, to see them merge, but unless they decide so for their best interest it still makes sense. The intermediate solution is to do what field hockey does with its World League, but who knows...

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Thu, 24 Jan 2019, 07:53

Amargo wrote:I think is a better solution than the best count.

I disagree. If the Olympics are on the line and Wales/Scotland play England there will at least be a doubt if they give everything to win.The easiest solution would be that only the best national team can represent GB (without players from the other teams). I understand why they won't do it, but this and generally playing in 7s as GB, would be the only two 100% fair solutions.

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Fri, 25 Jan 2019, 01:58

RugbyLiebe wrote:

Amargo wrote:I think is a better solution than the best count.

I disagree. If the Olympics are on the line and Wales/Scotland play England there will at least be a doubt if they give everything to win.The easiest solution would be that only the best national team can represent GB (without players from the other teams). I understand why they won't do it, but this and generally playing in 7s as GB, would be the only two 100% fair solutions.

Same discussion existed about Spain in football and melted with the 2010 world title, full of Barcelona players. The players are professionals, no one is insane to go to the national team to make it lose. Come on.

The best thing is GB to replace Scotland, Wales and England in the World Series indeed. Welsh and Scottish unions would have better things (like PRO14 teams) to invest this money. And Welsh and Scottish sevens national team would be formed for the Commonwealth Games every 4 years anyway.

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Fri, 25 Jan 2019, 08:39

To be honest I never heard of any discussion about that in Spain, at that time at least. The biggest conspiracy theories regarding football national team revolve around Arconada's mistake at 1984 Euro final, Zubizarreta's mistake at 1998 World Cup pool stages, Cañizares missing 2002 World Cup and Piqué's childish mistakes in last World Cup.

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

If the Olympics are on the line and Wales/Scotland play England there will at least be a doubt if they give everything to win.

There is no scenario where Wales or Scotland would not try their utmost to beat England, Olympic qualifiacation or not.

There are plenty of scenarios for that. Quarter final in the very last World Series tournament 2019 ENG-WAL. England needs to finish in the top4, It doesn't matter for Wales. Do you really think the best Welsh players wouldn't have been already told that they might get a chance at the Olympics if GB qualifies?I am not saying they are not fair sportsmen, but it will always be a bit fishy. This is also 7s. Only a few of them will make it to become a pro in 15s afterwards, especially in those countries. The Olympics is the absolute pinnacle of 7s.

victorsra wrote:Same discussion existed about Spain in football and melted with the 2010 world title, full of Barcelona players. The players are professionals, no one is insane to go to the national team to make it lose. Come on.

Totally different thing. A FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid game never decided if Spain would make it to a World Cup/ Euro. Here a game England vs. Wales decides that Welsh players might become Olympians if they lose (/or not if they win for that matter). They dilemna is, that they play for their "nation" but there is a real nation above they can represent.

I don't understand why World Rugby just stops it and force a GB team to play on the world series. I mean what does 7s really do in Scotland and Wales? One of the easiest things to grow rugby worldwide wasted because of "tradition" again. A compromise would be that Wales, Scotland and England could still play in the Euro GPS Series if they want to.

Re: Sevens World Series/7's News

Fri, 25 Jan 2019, 21:47

Scotland had even cut its team from playing the European Grand Prix. Big waste of money, few people care about it. It would be much better to have 2 more emerging nations like Russia, Germany, Chile... or in fact 1 more, because Ireland will probably be promoted soon. It is the Olympics that boost sevens worldwide and England, Wales and Scotland are not Olympic nations...